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Still Speculating on Sanchez
Speculation is mounting that Lawrie Sanchez may quit as Northern Ireland manager inside the next week. Frankly, I wouldn't blame him. The shit he has taken in the last week from unprofessional journalists has been sensationalist and undeserved.
One of the worst offenders was the Belfast Telegraph's Stephen Beacom who, after the Spain match, despite knowing that Lawrie had a family bereavement to attend to, berated the manager for not speaking to the press after the match, accusing him of "snubbing the press and the chance to speak to the fans."
Ballocks Stephen. The fans understand; don't try and tell us what to feel, the fans aren't idiots and have our own feelings on the issue. The Tele is fast becoming a haven for tabloid tat, and Beacom seems to be playing no small part in that transformation. It's also been said that he was extremely overly critical of the manager on a news report on UTV, although I didn't see that myself. Beacom does seem to labour under the false impression that the fans view him as an (or the?) essential link to the manager. Stephen: you're not.
But it's not just the media at fault here. Rumours are rife that Sanchez doesn't get on too well with IFA head honchos Howard Wells and shamless self-publicist Jimmy Boyce (the two muppets who are acting as head cheerleaders for the Government's White Elephant proposals at the Maze). Frankly, if anyone should resign it should be those two; their unprofessional handling of this whole fiasco is only the tip of the iceberg.
The team had a shit day against Iceland, but Lawrie's record is still good and he's still overwhelmingly popular amongst the fans. Star striker, and hat-trick hero, David Healy made an empassioned plea today for Sanchez to stay on. I just hope that carries some sway with the manager and that he's still in the guvnor's seat come the trip to Copenhagen next month.